Portable Reusable Pallet Hook

ABSTRACT

The present device provides a mechanism for securing a load along a relatively level load-bearing surface such as a pallet or skid. An anchoring component fixedly attaches to an edge or overhang of a pallet deck board. Attached to the anchoring component is an elongate member which extends vertically from the anchoring component. A hook component, at the end of elongate member distal to the anchoring component, fixedly attaches to a piece of flexible material wrapped around a load to be secured, at a point adjacent to where the anchoring component attaches to the deck board.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a utility application which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 61/840,509, filed on Jun. 28, 2013. The entire disclosures contained in U.S. Provisional Application 61/840,509, including the attachments thereto, are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present device is generally related to pallet hooks and, more particularly, to reusable hooks utilized for anchoring merchandise to a shipping pallet or skid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The shipping of heavy materials, bulk shipments, and other such goods often involves the mounting of the goods or materials on pallets or skids. A typical pallet or skid is a flat structure which, from a top view, is approximately square in configuration. Both pallets and skids have a substantially smooth, level surface for bearing and transporting loads with relative stability, and for storing loads efficiently. Pallets and skids are often comprised of wood, metal, paper, plastic, or other material capable of supporting heavy loads. Load-bearing pallets and skids can be hoisted and hauled by forklift trucks, front loaders, hand-pumped and hand-drawn pallet jacks, or other such equipment made for lifting heavy loads. The features and functions of pallets and skids are known to those of ordinary skill in the art, and thus need not be described in further detail herein.

After a load is placed upon a pallet or skid, a frequent practice in the shipping industry is to wrap the load with one or more layers of flexible, plastic film commonly known as stretch wrap. Stretch wrap may assist in maintaining the load in a desired stacking or placement arrangement upon the pallet or skid. In addition to its use in helping to stabilize a load resting on a pallet or skid, stretch wrap may increase storing and transporting efficiencies and provide some added degree of protection against dust or moisture. The features and functions of stretch wrap are known to those of ordinary skill in the art, and thus need not be described in further detail herein.

An objective of the present device is to provide a convenient, single-piece article for anchoring a stretch-wrapped load to a shipping pallet. The device may include an anchoring component that is wedge-fitted to an edge or overhang of a deck board of a pallet or skid. It may also be a loose slip fit with geometry that holds the hook end upright until engaged with the shrink wrap. Accounting for the fact that deck boards will vary slightly in thickness from pallet to pallet or from board to board, variability in the opening of the anchoring component enables the device to fit onto a wide assortment of pallets and skids.

One of the many features of the present device is the ease with which it can be attached and removed. It can be attached to a pallet or skid via a resistance wedge fit or a loose slip fit, and has a geometry that holds the hook end upright until engaged by the stretch wrap. On occasion, the device could be wedged onto a deck board with only a small hammer or other such device used to tap the device into place on the deck board. Usually, the device can be fitted onto a pallet or skid without the use of any tools. The ease in applying and removing the device means that it can be adjusted to fit a wide assortment of shipping scenarios.

The ability to quickly remove the device provides other advantages. Unlike other anchoring members, the present device can be removed easily and therefore can be recycled or reused without spending significant labor resources. Since the device can be produced at nominal expense, most shippers would not want to spend a great deal of labor time removing the article from a pallet for reuse. As such, compliance with appropriate tying down of merchandise will be augmented by the present device, given its inherent advantages over other articles that are more difficult to attach and remove.

Relatively narrow, inflexible lengths of metal or plastic band material are often used to secure a load upon a skid or pallet. Use of such bands frequently requires ratcheting the bands tightly around the load, so that the load may remain stable during transport. However, this presents the potential that the banding may crush or cut the packaging of the load, or the load itself. Utilizing the present device, in conjunction with stretch wrap, is an effective way to secure the load while avoiding the risk of damaging the load and/or its packaging.

The use of bands to secure a load to a pallet or skid typically requires the use of banding tools to tighten, crimp, and cut the bands. Corner protectors made of paper, foam, or other suitable material are often used to help prevent the tensed metal or plastic bands from cutting into the package or packages. In addition to the expenditures required for banding strips and banding tools, the steps for banding a load to a pallet must occasionally be carried out by more than one person in order to best ensure that the banding is properly secured to a load. The present device can be used by a single individual to secure a stretch-wrapped load. Also, the present device does not require special tools, and may frequently be utilized without the need for tools of any kind Accordingly, the present device is a less expensive alternative to banding in terms labor and material costs.

The ability to use the present device with stretch wrap, in lieu of plastic bands or metal pallet bands, offers the potential for reducing injuries associated with tensed metal bands that may break or be released suddenly while tensed. Also, while it is necessary to ensure that tie-down straps or bands are of sufficient length to secure a load, the utility of the present device is not limited by the dimensions of the load or the pallet.

Some loads, such as those having several separate parcels or packages stacked or loaded together, may undergo some shifting or settling during transport, which may loosen the hold of any metal or plastic bands used to secure the load for transport. However, stretch wrap more widely distributes tension across the load surface, as opposed to the manner with which a few narrow loops of metal or plastic banding would confine and concentrate tension to a comparatively much smaller area of the load. Therefore, when the present device is attached to a portion of stretch wrap and anchored to the pallet or skid, it further alleviates the chances that the load will settle or shift in a manner that would affect the ability to safely maintain the load atop the pallet.

The present device is relatively small, non-cumbersome, and light-weight. Several of the devices can easily be carried at once, either by hand or by carrying them in the pockets of one's clothing. Additionally, using the device to secure a load upon a skid or pallet has no effect on the ability to maximize the efficient use of storage space for the loaded skid or pallet.

The prior art includes patented and published devices which disclose features that may facilitate the securing of various goods or materials. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,398 B1 by Grigsby Jr. discloses a J-hook which is applied to a wooden pallet in order to situate an anchoring member for holding a tie-down strap or other securement member. The open end of the J-hook is placed below a slat board of the Grigsby article such that a vertical shaft protrudes upward for engagement with the goods to be shipped. Although the Grigsby patent is similar to the present device in some respects, the Grigsby patent includes the disadvantage that the patent includes both a first and second engagement member, with the second engagement member mounted to the durable good itself. As such, the Grigsby article must specifically couple the goods being shipped. Therefore, use of the Grigsby invention appears to be limited to scenarios in which engagement with the shipped article is appropriate.

By contrast, the present device does not engage the articles to be shipped, but rather simply provides an anchoring point where tie-down straps, flexible tie-down cords, or stretch wrap may be anchored more effectively to the pallet or skid. Thus, the present device offers versatility through its ability to accommodate a wide assortment of merchandise, including loose boxes which should not be penetrated by the securement member itself. Also, the Grigsby invention requires that the anchoring member be specifically bolted in place. As such, it would be much more labor intensive to apply and remove the Grigsby anchor from the pallet as compared to the present device.

Published U.S. Patent Application U.S. 2012/0027512 A1 by Evans appears to have some benefits similar to those of the present device, although it differs significantly in key respects. Evans discloses an anchoring mechanism to anchor a ladder or similar device to a rack on a vehicle for transportation and storage. The device consists essentially of a hook-based mechanism properly sized to couple with the primary rails of a ladder and secure them on a horizontal rack. As claimed in the application, the system includes both a primary hook and a shaft that extends through and beyond the trestles, along with a cross beam and flange to receive the shaft and anchor it accordingly. While the Evans device is not specifically directed to a pallet anchoring mechanism, the general structure could be adapted for such use. However, the Evans device requires protrusion of a threaded bolt into or about the item to be anchored, which is a disadvantage that does not exist with the present device.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,953 by Platt discloses a battery hold-down structure. As illustrated and described in the patent, the Platt device is essentially a shaft which is designed to hook onto a stable object and to be tightened down for anchoring by use of a wing nut or the equivalent. While useful as a general reference, the Platt invention cannot be used with the same ease as the present device. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 1,693,184 by Rumely discloses an anchoring device from the 1920s that is primarily used for anchoring a motor vehicle within a freight car during transport. Although there is some general similarity to the present device, the Rumely article utilizes a nut and bolt to fasten to notches located in metal rails attached to the freight car floor. Therefore, utilization of the Rumely article requires more labor and time than does utilization of the present device.

U.S. Pat. D 322,361 by Goodman et al. and U.S. Pat. D 342,889 by Adams both show hook designs. However, while these design patents seem to describe inventions that appear safe and easy to use, portable, and inexpensive, neither of these devices would be useful for anchoring loads upon pallets.

As seen by the above-referenced patents and publications, there exists devices of various types and designs for securing goods or materials. However, to the inventor's knowledge, there has not been such a device for securing goods or materials to pallets which combines safe usage, cost savings, ease of attachment and removal, portability, reusability, and ease of manufacture, in the same manner as the present device. Accordingly, there is a need for a device with the attributes mentioned above, which also minimizes the risk that the transported goods and/or its packaging will incur damage from contact with the device itself, or from becoming loosened from its moorings.

SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

One of the many embodiments of the present device is a one-piece device comprised of corrosion-resistant metal or other suitable high-strength material. Some embodiments comprise an anchoring component with which the device attaches to a deck board edge or overhang of a pallet, and a hook component that fixedly attaches to stretch wrap, flexible cord, or tie-down straps covering part of a load borne by the pallet.

In one of the embodiments, the anchoring component is comprised of a top wall, a bottom wall, and a side wall. The walls are connected so that a two-dimensional side (or “profile”) view of the device approximates a rectangle with one width line missing, to form a “rectangle” with an open face. Attached to the edge of the top wall most proximal to the open face, and extending perpendicularly from the plane along which the top wall lies, is an elongate neck. The end portion of the elongate neck that is distal of the anchoring component terminates in an arcuate crook to form a hook component which, in relation to the top wall of the anchoring component, approximates a backwards, inverted J-shape when seen from a two-dimensional side view.

A three-dimensional view of one embodiment of the present device shows an article whose contoured surfaces may have been formed from a single piece of substantially flat material. In other embodiments of the present device, a three-dimensional view of the article may display a device whose contours may have been formed from a single piece of substantially cylindrical material. However, the present device is not limited to embodiments whose contours may have been formed from a piece of material of a specific geometric shape or shapes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional utility and features of this device will become more fully apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following drawings, which illustrate some of the primary features of preferred embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the top of an exemplary pallet.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the top of an exemplary pallet, with a load resting upon it.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the present device.

FIG. 4 shows a fragmentary perspective view of a stretch-wrapped load resting upon a pallet.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the top of a stretch-wrapped load resting upon a pallet.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of an embodiment of the present device.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the present device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the top of an exemplary pallet 10 of the sort that may support a stretch-wrapped load to be transported or stored. In FIG. 1, the pallet has a series of top deck boards 11 which comprise the load-bearing surface of the pallet, and a series of bottom deck boards 12. The structural strength of the pallet shown in FIG. 1 is reinforced by a series of stringers 13 running parallel to one another, and running perpendicular to the deck boards. Other features of the pallet in FIG. 1 include spacings 14 between the deck boards and fork lift slots 15.

The present device works with equal utility on pallets comprised of wood, as it does with pallets comprised of steel, plastic, aluminum, paper, etc. In addition, the present device works with equal utility on pallets, as it does with any portable, horizontal, relatively flat and rigid platform used as a base for assembling, storing, stacking, handling, and transporting goods as a unit load, provided that said platform has an edge or overhang to which the present device may be anchored.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of pallet 10 shown in FIG. 1, with a load 16 of the sort to which a flexible material such as stretch wrap may be applied to facilitate securing the load to the pallet. In FIG. 2, load 16 is comprised of several parcels. However, the present device works may also be utilized on loads comprised of a single parcel or item.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the present pallet hook 17. In one of the many embodiments, the present device is comprised of anchoring component 18 having top wall 19, side wall 20, and bottom wall 21. These walls are geometrically contoured to provide anchoring space 22 which complements a portion of an edge or overhang of pallet 10 to enable engagement of anchoring component 18 to a portion of an edge or overhang.

FIG. 3 also shows elongate neck 23 extending approximately perpendicularly from top wall. At the end of elongate neck 23 distal to top wall 19 is hook component 24. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, hook component 24 has an arcuate bend geometrically contoured to provide a mechanism for attaching to a portion of stretch wrap or other material which is wrapped around a pallet load.

FIG. 4 shows a fragmentary perspective view of pallet 10 supporting a stretch-wrapped load. In FIG. 4, anchoring component 18 of an embodiment of pallet hook 17 is attached fixedly to a portion of an edge of one of a series of top deck boards 11. A portion of stretch wrap 25 which substantially encases the load serves to allow hook component 24 of the device to attach and apply added tension to stretch wrap 25 so that load 16 may be more securely held in its position atop pallet 10.

FIG. 5 shows a topside perspective view of pallet 10 supporting a stretch-wrapped load. In FIG. 5, an embodiment of pallet hook 17 is attached to a portion of stretch wrap proximal to each of two bottom corners of the stretch-wrapped load, and each of the two embodiments shown is also anchored to a portion of an edge of one of a series of top deck boards 11. Effective securing of load 16 atop pallet 10 would be furthered by utilizing the present device along portions of any overhangs or edges of a top deck board extending beyond, but proximal to, the bottom corners of the load (not shown) which are located furthest from those corners seen in FIG. 5.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of an embodiment of pallet hook 17. The features of the embodiment of pallet hook 17 shown in FIG. 3 are shown in the embodiment in FIG. 6 from a different perspective.

Referring again to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a device is shown with contoured surfaces that may have been formed from a single piece of substantially flat material. However, the present device is not limited to embodiments whose contours may have been formed from a piece of material of a specific geometric shape or shapes. For example, FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of pallet hook 17 whose contours may have been formed from a single piece of substantially cylindrical material.

It is to be understood that the embodiments and claims herein are not limited in application to the details of construction and arrangement of the components set forth in the description and illustrated in the drawings. Rather, the description and the drawings provide examples of the embodiments envisioned, but the claims are not limited to any particular embodiment or to a preferred embodiment disclosed and/or identified in the specification. The drawing figures are for illustrative purposes only, and merely provide practical examples of the pallet hook disclosed herein. Therefore, the drawing figures should not be viewed as restricting the scope of the present application to that which the drawings depict.

The embodiments and claims herein are further capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways, including various combinations and sub-combinations of the features described above but that may not have been explicitly disclosed in specific combinations and sub-combinations. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which the embodiments and claims are based may be readily utilized as a basis for the design of other structures, methods, and systems. In addition, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting the claims. 

We claim:
 1. A portable, reusable device for securing a shrink-wrapped load to a pallet, comprising: an elongate member having a first end and a second end; said first end defining an anchoring component; said second end having an arcuate configuration and defining an attaching component.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein: said anchoring component configured to wedgedly fit an edge of a deck board of a pallet; said attaching component receiving a portion of shrink wrap at least partially enveloping a load resting atop said pallet. 